Yes, I am well aware just how stupidly lazy I am -_- all I really have to do for this fic is reread and edit already written chapters (for most of my fics actually) and yet I refuse just because I dun wanna . I'm like a petulant child! It annoys me but I'm too lax to discipline myself -_- any takers?

~x~

Our Hollow Brother

Chapter 4 – Testing in Progress

~x~

"I like her." Yuzu chirped cheerfully, opening their front door quietly with her own house key. Karin rolled her eyes silently behind her at her sister's positive trustworthiness. Ichigo was crouched like a colorful gargoyle sentry on the roof right above the door and the black haired twin looked up at him briefly as she followed Yuzu inside. He'd told them earlier that he needed some time to think but that he'd be in for their dinner, but had asked them kindly to please leave him alone for a solid ten minutes so he could organize his thoughts. Karin trudged upstairs to take a small nap before dinner as Yuzu was chattering happily to herself about seeing every one of Ichigo's friends again from earlier.

Outside, the Hollow was unmoving, a true stone stature that disguised his whirling thoughts. The shinigami's- Kuchiki Rukia's questions had left a bitter taste on his tongue of all the painful memories her inquiries, her last one especially, had dragged out of his psyche. He heaved a rumbling sigh, broad shoulders sagging suddenly as if the world he carried upon them had suddenly reminded him of its presence.

His world. His home, his family that included all his beloved and trusted friends, his memories and his "life". His sisters' lives and his friends' lives and their homes and their friends. He truly did have their own world hefted willingly upon his capable, but considerably young shoulders. Many thought he was being courageously selfless, but Ichigo only believed himself to be selfish. He could pretend that he had originally done everything he'd done for Karin and Yuzu to just only be for them alone, but the dark voices of the other Hollows he had devoured could hear his very core of thoughts and his vulnerable heart and hissed otherwise. He didn't need them to tell him how selfish he was. He already knew it.

You only want your own happiness.

You don't want to let them go, they belong to you only. Their lives are yours to do with as you please. You know they'd quite gladly give themselves over to you after all you've already done for them.

They trust you so much; it would be so easy just to make them stay with you forever. Unlike your parents who left you all alone. They didn't love you enough.

Not as much as you deserved.

Precious Yuzu and Karin. Keep their souls close to your own forever.

They're yours.

Yours.

Ours.

MINE.

Ichigo shook his shaggy head savagely, one large clawed hand reaching up to dig his fingertips into the surface of his mask. The slight pain and hysteria of panic his action caused the other Hollows' voices to screech in fear and anger that he could end all of their existences so easily just because he felt that he'd fallen too far into their smooth words and twisted persuasion.

The individual voices that had previously been slithering over each other, jostling for room to speak their own opinion, gradually retreated back into the shadows of his mind until they were back to being the low, constant buzz of noise that Ichigo had learned to ignore. He loosed another heavy sigh, this one sounding more like a groan than its successor.

He'd come so close to falling into their madness before, their purring tones held more temptation than anything humanely possible combined. They washed and beat at his iron will, slowly but ever surely forming rust around the wall he held around his amazingly still-present-and-well-guarded heart that would eventually form holes for their oily voices to slip through and strangle him in their black hunger.

Outwardly, he was the unmovable rock that everyone could cling to with confidence, but inwardly, Ichigo was desperate for his own solid rock to hold onto before he fell and willingly swept along with the cascading voices inside his head. They tempted him with aching promises of endless power, of being able to keep and do whatever he wanted but the strong heart he owed to his parents, sisters, and friends kept him from listening to their false whispers of longing with true hope. All they wanted was death and the food to satisfy their relentless hunger. Ichigo had always known to never trust a syllable of their poisonous purrs of power.

Shoving the last lingering stray voice away with its other captives, the dominant Hollow brought his thoughts back around to what he really had wanted to think about. Kuchiki Rukia. She had sworn not to tell anything about them to Soul Society after she had finished asking all her questions but Ichigo still doubted her sincerity. He doubted he could ever truly put his whole faith in her.

Shifting his weight into a more comfortable crouch, Ichigo's tail swung lazily off the edge of the roof, flicking occasionally much like a cat's would. Licking his rough tongue against the smooth teeth of his mask, Ichigo delved into deeper thoughts that could put Rukia's word to the test.

When Yuzu called out the kitchen window that dinner was ready, he hadn't come up with more than that he needed to keep a really close eye on her in case she tried to send a message to Soul Society. That much is obvious, he mused, crawling over the roof's rough tile and dropping into the back yard with an unconsciously graceful thud. I guess I'll just hafta plan as whatever happens, happens.

~x~ with Rukia, the next day ~x~

Finally fully healed after two days of resting, (the day she'd been unconscious and the day she'd finally gotten all her answers) and given her patched up shihaksho back, Rukia was glad she could finally get out of that tiny shop.

Sode no Shirayuki had given a thorough scolding when she'd returned to her room the night before for being so rash and careless about barging into a room of threats without any protection. Her zanpakatou's words made her feel like a sheepish child, but after she had shared all that she had recently learned with the icy spirit, Sode no Shirayuki was able to clear her head and help her make an ultimate decision with a cool and sure disposition. She wouldn't report any of these "abnormalities" to her superiors, but she would still keep her own eyes on the spiritually aware people of this town.

Both she and her zanpakatou agreed however, that she would honestly work to gain their trust. They could become great potential allies to her- to Soul Society, against the constant war with Hollows. A small, secret part of Rukia whispered that she just wanted true friends to replace the ones she had lost; Renji especially.

Crossing her arms irritably at the direction her thoughts had taken, Rukia refocused her attention outwards, overlooking the town from where she was perched upon a power line pole as her sentry post. So far, she'd tracked the four humans walk to their high school near the middle of Karakura. The Hollow (Ichigo, she corrected herself mentally) had escorted his two sisters to their elementary school and promptly disappeared via garganta, probably to Hueco Mundo she assumed.

The sky was a clear, crystal blue with thick white clouds drifting lazily across the sky in sparse clumps of fluff. There was a gentle breeze that made the vivid green grass shimmer and the emerald leaves of various trees in full summer bloom flash in the bright sunlight. It was truly a very beautiful day that was blissfully uninterrupted by a Hollow's presence.

"You sure let your guard down easy."

Rukia shrieked in surprise, slipping off the metal pole and would've dropped about ten feet before she would've righted herself if a long tail hadn't caught her wrist and pulled her back up to standing safely atop her perch. Mildly perturbed that Ichigo had indeed managed to get so close without her noticing, Rukia slapped lightly at his tail coiled around her thin wrist, sending him a mild glare when he chuckled in amusement but obliged her silent "request" and withdrew his appendage back to himself. "It's not my fault you're damn near invisible without any reiatsu to warn me." She sniffed defensively, rubbing her shoulder that was mildly sore from her sudden halt in what would've normally been an embarrassing fall.

Ichigo gave her what was sure to be an amused, smug smirk under that red and white mask. "Maybe your senses just suck that bad." He poked fun at the huffy petite shinigami, his sudden realization of her actually tiny frame had made his instincts automatically assume that this was either Yuzu or Karin and his own guard slipped down in accordance with his thoughts. Protect little sister, his own animalistic instincts purred, focusing on where Rukia was working the kink out of her shoulder.

Struggling with the urge to sniff at her to see if she was truly hurt, Ichigo's claws flexed in accordance with his conflicting mental process. He'd actually had acted on that same impulse before he'd realized what it was when he'd caught the tiny woman from falling off her perch. Huffing that he'd unknowingly slipped into his Big Brother mode, Ichigo averted his eyes from the now curious shinigami, trying to return to his defensive state of mind.

Rukia meanwhile blinked at the conflicting vibes of emotion just wafting off the menacing white and red Hollow. When he'd first shown up, he'd been amused, then surprisingly concerned, abruptly changed into shock and now his usually blank presence was flickeringly trying to cover his curiously present concern. Deciding not to mention it for both their sakes, Rukia coughed into her tiny fist to dispel the awkward silence. "So, why're you here? I thought you'd left to Hueco Mundo by now." She asked curiously, clasping her hands behind her back in a small gesture of peace and her trust in him not to attack her, likewise proclaiming the same for her to him.

Ichigo gave her his own look of curiosity from the corner of his eyes, his gold on black orbs showing more emotion than any other time the two of them had "met and talked." "There's two types of garganta." He rumbled instead of a direct answer. "One used to actually go to Hueco Mundo, and the other used to transport distances in the same world. I used the second option just now."

Rukia nodded in acknowledgement of his graciously given information, rocking back on her heels carefully, wrinkling her nose in thought of what else she could possibly say that could hold Ichigo's interest and continue their second, more civil conversation. Just as she thought up another question to ask, a large garganta suddenly ripped the air right beside her and she whirled towards it, one hand instantly flying to Sode no Shirayuki.

Her sealed zanpakatou effortlessly slid out of its sheath, slicing through the attacking Hollow's white mask as easily as it would through rice paper, both the creature and its mode of transportation vanishing almost instantly. Rukia's violet eyes roamed the surrounding area for another threat.

Beside her, Ichigo was silently impressed by her speed and strength, also noticing with veiled surprise that she was deliberately leaving herself open from an attack from him, but trying her trust in him to not to. The Hollow grinned behind his mask. Test One: Passed; Test Two: undecided.

After Rukia's successful kill of the first Hollow that had appeared, their "perfect" day and civil conversation was put aside as more Hollows crossed over into the realm of the living. Ichigo decided to make himself "useful" and follow Rukia as she shunpoed around their town, quickly dispatching the white masked creatures with almost effortless skill. They were only lesser Hollow's after all. After about the fifth Hollow roaring at her, Rukia was fed up with her companion's "sit back and watch her do all the work" style.

"If you're going to stalk me, at least help me while you're at it!" She snapped at the red and white Hollow, flailing her still sealed zanpakatou at Ichigo, her pale pink lips pulled down into an annoyed frown as Ichigo's only reaction was to send a lazy bala at an oncoming lower class Hollow. Scoffing at the languid response, but nevertheless appreciating the slight assistance as one Hollow was left without her to deal with.

Ichigo was very amused with her irritation. It seemed as if she was stubborn most of the time, but as she grew to feel more comfortable around him, she felt more inclined to be more bold and yell at him to do something. Coming to a conclusion that this sudden lapse of Hollows could be used to his advantage, Ichigo crept closer to where Rukia was resting against another power pole, leaning against it for support to catch her breath from chasing her last Hollow opponent down the street.

"I don't know why there are so many suddenly. I mean, its not like someone threw out some Hollow b-EEAHH!" Rukia's words were interrupted with a shriek when she opened her momentarily closed eyes to see Ichigo's shining gold on black orbs just a mere inch away from her face. The Hollow instantly burst out in throaty laughter, the nearly hysterical sound would've been sounding sinister if Rukia couldn't clearly hear the mirth hidden behind those warbled tones.

"That was priceless!" Ichigo cackled, skittering away from the flushed and embarrassed Rukia who kicked at any available limbs of his. "You really are too easy to sneak up on!" He laughed awhile longer at the petite shinigami's expense, but his mind was whirring with the thought. This does have a negative side. I am rather experienced in hiding my reiatsu, but if she can't sense it at all, then she would be at a disadvantage in battles with other Hollows who can hide too. He thought carefully, subconsciously avoiding the irate Kuchiki's flailing blows and dimly hearing her indignant shrieking.

"Alright, alright, calm down." He waved his sickle tail tip in her direction, crouching down on his haunches a safe distance from the huffing Rukia. "I'm going to teach you how to sense my reiatsu so that you can even detect other Hollows who can hide as well. If you can sense me, it'll also make it easier for you to track me like I let you do this morning." Ichigo lifted an eyebrow at the petite woman's incredulous, then defensive glare. "What? You didn't think I'd slipped and let you track me on accident did you?"

Rukia's angry huff and sudden slamming of her zanpakatou in her sheath was all the answer he needed. Noticing that another tantrum was probable, Ichigo decided to at least sound apologetic as he explained his teaching method to her. "I'm going to tell you where I hide, so that you can know where to focus and get a feel for my reiatsu signature. And then we'll go from there, okay?"

When did I get back into the Academy? Rukia thought grouchily, crossing her arms but she nodded with Ichigo's words. It was sound logic, and no matter how embarrassed she felt that she needed to be coached on something so simple, she admitted to herself that it was necessary. Closing her eyes as Ichigo gestured, she grudgingly followed his instructions to sense for him. His first hiding place? Standing right in front of her closed eyes and then he just disappeared.

Alarmed at the suddenness, Rukia's violet eyes jumped open, and she squawked in surprise when Ichigo blinked at her, having not moved from his spot at all. She felt her cheeks flush in mortification, internally scolding herself. He told you what he was going to do and you still made a fool out of yourself anyways! However, she was determined to impress him, so she stubbornly closed her eyes again and calmed her heart and breathing, sending out her awareness like a cool wave of mental touch, feeling for any break in her search.

Her eyebrows unconsciously furrowed when she found no disturbance in front of her, but her eyes had shown her that Ichigo was there and wasn't moving until she "found" him. Focusing harder, dulling all her other senses into background static, she "stared" at her outwardly moving waves of awareness, searching hard for the little blip on her radar that would surely signify Ichigo's presence.

There! It was so tiny that it was no wonder that she'd had such trouble finding him! Ichigo was truly a master at reiatsu control, and his helpful coaching had her grateful that he had been willing to start out easy on her. She didn't know how hard it would be as soon as objects would be in the way of her search and when she didn't know where he was. But she felt more confident now that she'd seen just how tiny the change in the reishi around them was, and was sure that she could have an easier time finding him in the next test.

~x~

They continued for hours of their own version of Hide-n-Seek. Their only breaks were to hunt down intruding Hollows and to give Rukia a mental breather. Rukia begrudgingly admitted that Ichigo was a good coach, teasing her to give her that drive to prove herself to him that she could find him and he wasn't as invisible as he thought. Near the middle of their practice, Rukia suddenly realized that his way of teaching was eerily similar to her beloved, deceased Kaien-dono's. The thought had her distracted with guilt and grief for almost an entire half hour afterwards, and it would have continued if Ichigo hadn't sensed her distraction and swatted her sharply with a reprimanding bark to retrieve her focus. That had led to a shouting match that had only ended because another Hollow had appeared across town.

Nearing night as it was now, Rukia gratefully collapsed on the grass, their current location at a children's playground in the middle of the town's nature park. Moaning her approval as her sore muscles relaxed and her brain was given a rest, the raven haired shinigami sighed happily at the cool breeze that cooled her heated skin. She felt clammy, the combined result of sweating in the heat of the day and the beginning humidity of the oncoming night and she couldn't wait to get back to Urahara's Shop to wash and get some sleep.

Ichigo perched comfortably beside her sprawled form, his clawed hands kneading the grass between his tri-toed bird-like feet, knees bent and parted narrowly, his elbows just level with his knees. His hooked tail swung lazily behind him as he also enjoyed the coolness of the evening, giving the overgrown weeds an early trim as they fell easily to his sickle bladed tail tip. He was still astounded as to how so many people, his beloved sisters and friends (with the exception of Inoue) could be so comfortable around the horrifying sight of his nightmarish appearance. Here he was, by all means the definition of a monster, crouching so close to what should be his mortal enemy, and she gave no reaction other than a twitch of her hand acknowledging his presence.

"Why aren't you scared of me?" He asked suddenly, his tone low and sullen, the echo making it almost hard to decipher his individual words. "Why aren't any of you scared of how I look?" Ichigo didn't really know what had made him ask, but he was desperate for an answer, and since he knew Rukia the least currently, he knew she wouldn't go blabbing about his insecurities to his friends because she had yet to gain their full trust either.

Rukia blinked up at him from her upside down position, rolling onto her stomach and propping herself up on her elbows after a moment of thought, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. "Uhmm… I dunno…" She murmured wonderingly. "Why aren't I scared of you? I know you could kill me, you almost did before, but… I'm not… It's the oddest thing, isn't it?" She sounded like she was asking herself, her violet eyes holding a far away look as she pondered her circumstance and trying to come up with a better answer to his question, leaning her cheek into one hand as her free one picked at random stalks of grass.

Ichigo waited patiently for her to arrange her thoughts, feeling a slight twinge of guilt at the casual mention of him almost killing her and considered the words she had already uttered. He held the vain hope that, as the newest person to actually know him, she could give him some sort of inside window as to why his family didn't fear his monstrous form. Yuzu baffled him completely. She shrieked and ran when she found a spider as she was cleaning, but it was to him that she ran to for protection against a spider. How was it that his baby sister found a mere bug more frightening than how he looked?

"I guess it's just…" Rukia trailed off uncertainly again, chewing on her captured bottom lip mercilessly, barely acknowledging the dull pain. Why aren't I scared of him? She sought the answer to their question desperately as she stared unblinkingly at Ichigo, the Hollow staring back as well with a mildly curious look, but over all hopeful air. The answer suddenly hit her like a Menos Gillian had fired a Cero at her. "Its because you're you." She whispered. "Your emotion; I see and hear your concern, your love for your family, your loyalty to this town, and I know I saw your friendship when you were teaching me today. No one's afraid of how you look because of who you are."

Ichigo stared back at her, silent and unmoving. Thinking that he didn't understand her vagueness (hell, she didn't know what she was trying to say!), Rukia sat up, crossing her legs underneath her as her hands fruitlessly tried to map out what she was trying to convey. "You're still you underneath that different form; it's like… Like how someone was in a battle! And their face is completely covered in bandages and it's all bloody and stuff. You're scared of them at first, because it's new and frightening to look at, because you think they're now somebody else. But as soon as they start talking to you again, you realize it's just them; just like any other day, but they just look different. You start to get used to it and lose your fear of how they now look, starting to think that's how they always were just because you know it's them! …. Does that help any?"

Rukia sighed in defeat when Ichigo was still unresponsive before her, collapsing onto her back with a huff. "I'm so useless when it comes to describing stuff like that, I'm sorry I couldn't help any." She murmured sullenly, staring up at the stars that she could see that were beginning to blink into existence in the quickly darkening sky, the thick foliage of the trees occasionally parting with the breeze for an even better view of the night sky.

"No… I can see what you mean…" Ichigo soft words of confirmation made Rukia jump slightly, lifting her head to look down her body to where Ichigo had laid himself out on his stomach, limbs curled tightly close to his body like a cat would when it settled down to sleep. "I remember when I first came home, after I became a Hollow. Yuzu and Karin were so afraid… at first… But the whole time I was trying to reassure them, talking the whole time and begging them not to be scared of me and suddenly, Yuzu grabbed Karin's hand really tight, and said, "Ichi-nii?" Karin's eyes went so wide and she stopped breathing for a whole minute." Ichigo rumbled, his gold on black eyes hazy in his reminiscing.

Rukia sat back up to her previously cross legged position, propping her elbows on her knees and her chin in both palms, listening quietly to the Hollow with a heart.

"I was just starting to get scared that Karin was going to turn blue if she kept holding her breath for much longer when she suddenly gulped in a quick breath and stood shakily. She made her way over to me, and I stayed so still so I wouldn't scare her more, and she touched my hand, my new clawed hand, so nervously. She looked me dead in the eyes and asked me if I really was her older brother. I nodded, saying "Sorry, Karin," and she gasped, and then she kicked me!" Ichigo laughed brightly at the memory, making Rukia unconsciously smile at the soft sound, no matter how warbled it sounded. "It obviously hurt her rather than me and I was almost freaking out because she was yelling and hopping around the kitchen and Yuzu was giggling so loudly, I don't even remember when she'd attached herself to my arm, and suddenly we were a family again. They weren't scared of me anymore…"

Rukia reached out and placed her tiny hand over Ichigo's, her pale flesh colored human-like fingers looked like a child's hand against the comparatively huge, bone white clawed appendage. Ichigo gave her the warmest look that she'd ever seen directed at someone other than his sisters, and Rukia felt herself smiling back almost as warmly. She knew right then, that Ichigo had taken her under his wing, and would treat her just like any other member of his beloved family.

Her thought was confirmed when Ichigo stood on all fours and crawled around her, curling his red and white body around her petite frame. Leaning back on his stomach/side/ribs area, Rukia chuckled quietly to herself, finding the idea that Ichigo was a giant cat hilariously near-accurate for all the feline actions he did. The Hollow nuzzled the side of her face gently, whispering extremely soft words of gratitude into her ear as his tail laid itself over her lap carefully.

Her shinigami training screamed at her that she was going to die for being so stupid, but her heart and mind rejected the voice ruthlessly. This Hollow wasn't really a Hollow at all. He was just Ichigo, a young teenager who had chosen to take upon a nightmarish form in order to protect like his namesake proclaimed. There wasn't a need to be afraid of him, he was Ichigo, and she was his friend.

Ichigo purred quietly, deep in his chest. Another friend, another little sister, another family member, another person to love. He was ecstatic, all thoughts of Rukia betraying them banished from his mind. She understood him; she wouldn't hurt any of them. He did feel severe guilt for trying to kill her before, but he doubted apologizing would really change anything because Rukia would just shoo the apology away, insisting that she'd tried to kill him too, so there was no foul play there.

The whole of Soul Society would have a heart attack if they could see one of their shinigami nearly cuddling with "the enemy"; a ferocious looking Hollow who many failed to realize before had no hole. All the intelligent Hollows in Hueco Mundo would feel betrayed by their own kind if they likewise saw the scene, but Ichigo would hardly care. He wasn't really a Hollow anyways; he was like Rukia had said.

He was Ichigo.

~x~

Since their emotional connection that night, Ichigo and Rukia became almost inseparable. It was mostly of Ichigo's doing though because he viewed Rukia as his newest loved one, and was dedicated to protect her since she was the one who was in the most danger, after all she still continued her duty of tracking down and killing invading Hollows. In fact, Ichigo was so attached to her now (because she was the one who simply understood him without even having to consciously think) that Rukia barely had any work to do herself!

Rukia sighed heavily to herself, only slightly annoyed as the Hollow she'd been headed towards disappeared off her improved reiatsu detecting radar. Since Ichigo's lessons, her awareness had increased so drastically, she could now feel every soul move in the entire city, and pinpoint powerful reiatsu, even hidden, nearly effortlessly. She now surpassed even Ishida in quickly finding Ichigo. She knew it was because of how they had connected on that deep, emotional level that night. She now placed Ichigo higher in her important people list, possibly level or even higher than anybody she'd held precious to her in Soul Society. Ichigo had trumped Renji almost effortlessly and the red haired shinigami was barely on her list, her good memories of him the only thing holding him from being bumped off completely.

Ichigo appeared before her, giving off a triumphant air that he could so easily do her job better than her. "What's the matter, Rukia? Can't keep up?" He teased her playfully, almost hopping closer to her. Everyone had noticed how much more carefree and less serious he was nowadays; and it had all come from the change Rukia provided. He talked more now, went more places with his sisters and friends, and his demeanor had changed from sullen and stubborn, to rather playful and more accepting to just acknowledge how things were, and learning to like new things the way they were.

"Hardly." Rukia sniffed, crossing her arms and pretending that she was cross. She ignored Ichigo's muffled snort of disbelief and allowed him to come closer, nudging at her side in an attempt to unbalance her. When she continued to ignore him however, only shifting her weight to accommodate his push, the Hollow started to wheedle and whine at her, demanding her attention again. He really proved he was more and more like a cat everyday to her.

"Rukia~! Ruuukiiiaaa~!" Ichigo poked and prodded gently at the raven haired shinigami, mildly amused and curious to see how far he could annoy his new friend before she snapped and swatted at him irritably, but with the soft smile she always wore when he was feeling particularly playful. "Yuzu sent me to come get you, she wants you over for dinner. Karin also wants to ask you more about shinigami stuff. Whaddya say Rukia?" He asked in a quiet voice, tugging at Rukia's sleeve and pulling one arm out of its cradle with its other.

Suppressing her smirk of amusement at his demanding, childish action, Rukia finally turned fully towards him and gave him the attention he desired. "Dinner sounds wonderful, I'll be pleased to join you." She agreed formally, mentally snickering when Ichigo made a mock gagging sound at her false polite manners. Slipping back into her normal self, her Rukongai brat upbringing, she shifted her weight again into a more relaxed pose and re-crossed her arms lazily. "What is she making? I'm sure whatever it is will be delicious."

Immensely pleased with her return to his dubbed "normal", Ichigo nuzzled Rukia's cheek affectionately before answering. "Chicken curry with miso soup on the side. Karin went out and bought mochi ice cream for dessert too." The orange haired Hollow rasped his tongue over his mask's teeth, in what would have been normally called "licking your lips" on a human being's face.

Rukia's stomach rumbled at the mention of the food, and she felt her mouth salivate in anticipation of Yuzu's wonderful home cooked meals. She hummed in approval, nodding to Ichigo that she was ready to start heading towards his home, walking forwards towards him. Just as she was within reach of his arms, a powerful Hollow's screech split through the air around them, making her stagger at its unexpected heavy reiatsu.

Ichigo didn't hesitate, catching the petite shinigami up in his arms and rolling forward, Rukia tucked carefully into his chest, at the same instant another humanoid Hollow slammed into the ground where'd they previously been standing. Rukia's eyes were open wide, her muscles twitching as adrenaline coursed through her body abruptly. She heard Ichigo release a muffled grunt above her as he rolled another time, and she was horrified to hear a sickening, wet tearing sound and several dripping splats afterwards. She was disoriented when Ichigo stopped rolling and suddenly crouched low on all fours, dropping her onto the ground and keeping her sprawled there, sandwiched between his stomach and the ground.

The feral, vicious growl that rippled through the strong, broad chest above her head made Rukia tremble instinctively, it was so primal and protective sounding; like a mother lion protecting her cub. Peeking out ahead from her position under the Hollow, she was shocked to see an insect-like human-ish Hollow clacking its mandible-like jaws at her, spindly bloody fingers twitching from stick thin arms. Its reiatsu was massive, spilling out from its skeletal body in disconcerting waves as Rukia's mind drunkenly classified it. Another Adjuchas… She thought in horror, looking up at what she could see of Ichigo's face in worry.

Ichigo didn't spare her a glance however, crouching lower to shield her further from the other powerful Hollow. The insect Adjuchas clacked again rapidly, as if trying to communicate with the orange haired Hollow, shifting its slender body on spindly, knobby legs. It looked like a stick bug in Ichigo's opinion, but he knew it would be much harder to snap its body than it normally would be for any twig insect. "There's no prey for you here," He spat threateningly, his long orange hair bristling with hostility. "Go back to Hueco Mundo."

The other Adjuchas hissed loudly, weaving its large, almost cartoonist in comparison to its body, head side to side frantically, fingers clenching restlessly at the thin air as if wishing they had a body between them to mangle and tear. "Yoouuuu… Why did yoouuu proootect the sshhhinigami?" It demanded menacingly, the slurred, long drawn out words making Rukia think that its body should be of a snake, not an insect. "Yooouu'd betraaay youur brethren? Fooor a mangy sssshhhhinigami!"

Ichigo snapped harshly at the other Hollow, making it chatter frantically, the orange haired once-teen growling like a chained dog. "I'm not one of you, Hollow. I have no relation to you, Bug!" He spat viciously, ever muscle coiled and tense in his strong body in preparation for an attack. He wasn't moving from over Rukia unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Bug! BUG! I am noooo buuug!" The Adjuchas shrieked wildly, crazy green hued reiatsu glowing around its skeletal body, bright yellow-green eyes glaring hatefully out at Ichigo from behind its white, tribal mask. "I will devour both your ssssouls and be one step clooosser to becoming a Vasssste Lorde!" It declared arrogantly, steepling all the long, bony fingers on one hand to a point, a deep red Cero beginning to form there.

Rukia's wide eyes only had the split second to see the glimpse of that red before Ichigo scooped her up again, instantly vanishing into a sonido and reappearing behind the nearest building, depositing the dizzied Rukia onto the sidewalk with a hoarsely whispered command. "Stay here. Don't you dare move; he's too powerful for you. Stay. Here." He emphasized, pinning the shinigami with a hard stare, before sonidoing back to where the insect Hollow was screeching with fury at being avoided.

Crawling onto her hands and knees quickly, the violet eyed woman frantically scooted to the corner of the building, peeking around just in time to see Ichigo knock away the other Hollow's attacking spear shaped hand, thrusting out his own hand, fingers spread, straight into the invading Adjuchas's mask. She winced habitually when the impact resounded with a loud thud along with the insect's shriek of rage and pain as it tumbled into a backwards roll away from Ichigo to dispel most of the power behind the hit so its mask wouldn't shatter. Rukia hastily stifled a cry of concern when the bony, spindly Hollow kicked out one spurred foot and caught Ichigo right on his shoulder. She saw a curtain of dark blood spray from the wound, but almost instantly after there was a explosion of white, and her friend was unharmed again, moving after the other Adjuchas for another attack.

The two Hollows, one hungering for souls and power and the other who still protected his heart and family, suddenly lunged at each other simultaneously, colliding with a horrid sound of flesh meeting bone. Mandibles clacked loudly as they snapped at Ichigo's mask, her friend's claws wrapping around one horn of the other Hollow's head and yanked it away just in time to save himself from being beheaded. Simultaneously, he fired up a point blank Cero in the palm of his hand that had captured the horn, making another eerie red glow.

Rukia clapped her hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp when the insect Hollow shoved a thin hand through Ichigo's bicep to save itself from the Cero. Ichigo's resulting screech of pain made the shinigami cringe as it pierced her eardrums. The orange haired Hollow reluctantly let go of the horn, his Cero only managing to become a Bala instead, the smoke the collision created giving him enough time and space to jump back out of range from the shrieking other Adjuchas as another white eruption filled the bloody hole in his upper arm.

Now that the two had gotten most of their instinctual and animalistic attacks out of the way, they started circling each other warily and using intelligent strategy in order to find the other's weakness. The invading Hollow shot forward first, claws aiming straight for the open areas between Ichigo's armor, but it was to be expected and Ichigo was prepared, slamming his elbow down into the other masked creature's back as he avoided the dive, but the spurs on the insect's feet unfortunately caught his thigh as it passed, tearing another gaping gash that spurted blood, and then a little slower later, more white as Ichigo's regeneration powers worked to their max to keep healing the orange head's wounds.

Rukia suddenly realized a grave problem. Ichigo wasn't fighting at full power. He barely had any of his reiatsu released! If he did, then Soul Society would detect two Adjuchas leveled Hollows battling right in the middle of Karakura and send reinforcements! She thought in horror, wide eyes barely seeing Ichigo take another wound with a howl and bat the insect away with a heavy fist. What do I do What do I do What do I do! She'd never felt so useless before, there had to be some way for her to help!

Meanwhile, Ichigo faced the same mental complication along with his physical battle against the other Adjuchas. He didn't dare release his full power because that would surely threaten all of their serenity here in Karakura, but if he didn't, he could become severely wounded before he could defeat this Hollow and it could go on a rampage. He released a screaming snarl when bony fingers caught under one of his arm's plates and yanked it off in a bloody show of flesh and torn muscle. Whipping around, his thick tail crashed straight into the insect's middle with a crack, his sickle tail tip slicing into the other Hollow's side as it was flung away abruptly by the powerful blow, crashing into a light pole and making the metal screech in protest as it fell like a stalk of corn.

The momentary pause was long enough that his wound healed over on his arm, but the armor would need another few minutes to fully regenerate and until then, he felt like there was a bull's eye target on his white skin. He spared a split second to shoot a glance over at where he could see Rukia peeking out at him in concern from where he'd hidden here. Her eyes begged for him to be okay after the battle. Time froze for a minute, the insectoid Hollow almost pausing in midair as it leaped for him again. The risk didn't seem so… risky anymore. Seeing Rukia was like seeing everyone he'd sworn to protect materialized right before his eyes; he would still protect them. No matter what.

Time sped up quickly, Ichigo spinning to avoid another wound, lashing out harshly with another elbow to the side of the Hollow's neck, following up with another knee to the shoulder before the Adjuchas could move away. His reiatsu was steadily leaking out faster and faster from behind his dam of control. Soon it was pouring out faster and more wildly, like a raging flood finally released as his movements became faster and move fluid, his blows stronger and more crushing. His reiatsu was a menacing black, tinged with boiling swirls of a bloody red. Its aura almost swallowed Rukia whole, but his iron will kept it tempering around her own pale white reiatsu without harming her.

Ichigo caught the stick-bug's hand within his own larger one, ignoring the stabbing pain as the fingers immediately curled and dug into his palm, actually forcing the claws in deeper when he squeezed harshly, crushing all the bones in that hand and darkly relishing in the screech of pain that his action wrought, grunting as a spurred leg kicked and hooked into his side, but with a shudder that wracked his body, much like a snake would do to lose its skin, the limb slid off his armor uselessly.

Rukia was shocked by the sudden difference. This Ichigo was brutal and ruthless. This Ichigo was the one that she felt a tinge of fear of. Fear that his power could crush her, that those now bloody claws could turn and tear into her. But each and every animalistic surge of fear was washed away cleanly from her soul every time Ichigo had a second free and shot her a worried look, most of the time suffering another wound just to make sure that she was still safe. It was still Ichigo.

"Filthy traiter!" Those mandibles clicked wildly with the human words, the stick-like Adjuchas standing hunched over away from Ichigo, its broken hand hanging limply at its side while its still useful other one balled into a tight fist. Its regeneration powers were incredibly mediocre compared to Ichigo's, and his side wound from Ichigo's sickle barbed tail was still bleeding almost black blood down his skeletal side. There were several more raw looking scrapes and scratches covering that bone white slender body, more limbs looking even more crooked and out of place from various bone breaks. "Youuu betray your kiiiind for filth! Yooouu are noo Hoolllooow!"

Ichigo appeared smug at the other Hollow's words. "I told you I wasn't, Bug." Contrary to his opponent, Ichigo appeared almost untouched. His breathing was more labored than usual, and he looked a little roughened up, but there were no visible wounds and the dried blood blended in with his red armor. He definitely looked like the stronger of the two masked creatures despite his obvious difficulties at the beginning of their fight. Now, however, his reiatsu rumbled and coiled through the reishi of the area, making the very air they breathed thick and ominous.

The other Adjuchas spat unintelligibly, clacking its jaws viciously but wary of another attack in its weakened form. Its eyes suddenly flicked left and Rukia's breath left her lungs in a rush when piercing yellow-green orbs locked onto her wide violet. Without a second hesitation, the other Hollow dived for her, vanishing midway into a sonido. She distantly heard Ichigo roar in fury right before the insectiod appeared right over her, both speared and mangled hand slamming down towards her flesh and vulnerable body.

Abruptly, there was a solid white and red mass blocking her view of the attacking Hollow, and she was absolutely horrified to see spindly hands pierce straight through it and felt thick blood fall against her face. She kneeled there, shaking like a leaf as the spindly Hollow writhed and spit against an eerily still Ichigo.

"You were dead before, but now you're food." The deep, ominous voice that rumbled warbling up from Ichigo's chest made the captured Hollow cringe in fear, the black reiatsu compressing suddenly, crushing the thin body in towards Ichigo's body. Rukia could see the Hollow's hands twist desperately in the flesh of Ichigo's back, the sight making her sick as the flesh tried to heal only to get torn open again as more thick, rich scented blood poured more and more heavily.

Opening his jaws wide, Ichigo roared over the other Hollow's shriek of rage before his teeth slammed over the other Adjuchas's face, sharp fangs sliding into the mask with a crack as the insect screamed in pain and writhed frantically, hands tearing wider holes through Ichigo's body but it was too late. The orange haired Hollow ripped a massive chunk off the insect's mask, crunching into it with a noise that sounded like snapping bone and a thick swallow. The other Hollow collapsed, slumping against Ichigo from where its arms still pierced his body, dead the moment it had been absorbed by the stronger Adjuchas.

Almost indifferently, Ichigo swallowed another mouthful of the other Hollow's mask, then roughly yanking the thin body away from himself, barely grunting when the limp, bony arms were torn brutally from his body, showering the cement beneath his clawed feet with another heavy spray of his blood. He carelessly tossed the dead Hollow away from himself, not bothering to devour the whole thing. Not only did he not need to, he could already feel the absorbed power boost, but he didn't think Rukia could handle seeing any more brutality tonight. The body would eventually dissolve into reishi.

With a heavy sigh, he kneeled into a shaky crouch, placing one hand on the ground before him for support, mentally willing his regeneration powers to work fast as his vision swayed with the bloodloss he'd went through. A trembling, timid hand touched the broadness of his back, right above one of the ragged holes. Curiously looking over his shoulder, he winced slightly when he saw Rukia's pale withdrawn but oddly determined face. There was a sudden warmth that spread through his skin, originating from her touch and centering on his grievous wounds. Realizing what she was attempting to do, he tried to squirm away from her but was surprised when she abruptly shoved him forward, landing him on his stomach with a huff of pain as she kneeled just above the base of his tail, on the small of his back as she worked fervently with Kido to heal his wound from the back.

Huffing irritably again, his bloodied tail tip flicking like an annoyed cat, Ichigo crossed his arms under his chin as a pillow and he muttered under his breath. "This isn't necessary yanno, I'll heal on my own in a few minutes." He huffed yet again when Rukia stubbornly ignored him and moved from one healed hole to the still bleeding, but noticeably smaller other one. Soon enough, she crawled off his back and when he sat up, she was suddenly under his arm and pushing him back to sit upright, straddling his left thigh subconsciously in order to get at the wounds to his chest. He sighed into her hair, supporting himself with one hand while the other rested lightly at the small of Rukia's back as she continued with her self assigned task of healing the wounds he'd willingly taken to protect her.

Suddenly realizing the slight intimacy of their position, Ichigo flushed hotly under his mask, grateful for its presence so that Rukia didn't see. Coughing lightly when she gave a satisfied hum of approval from her work, Ichigo squirmed underneath her, shifting his leg away from between hers. He was only a mere teenager after all, no matter how monsterish he looked currently, having a girl straddle one of his thighs was infinitely embarrassing, especially since that girl was like a new sister to him. "Well, uh, thank you, but uh," He began awkwardly, lifting Rukia off him carefully like he would awkwardly carry a toddler and set her on her feet beside him, standing hurriedly. "I'm fine now so no need for that."

Mildly confused as to why he was stuttering but shoving the thoughts away instead for more serious one, she sent a scathing look up at him. "Ichigo you imbecile! You almost got yourself killed because of your stupid stunt! I appreciate it nonetheless, however, but you must never do something that stupid again! Understood?" She demanded, propping her fists onto her hips.

Ichigo blinked down at her, thinking her as a tiny drill sergeant. He mended his previous thought of little sister, to that of older sister. She was in fact much older than him, but her tiny size had reminded him of his baby sisters but her lecture just then undoubtedly made her his older sister. Smiling softly behind his mask, his eyes turned warm, giving Rukia a loving look. "Hai, I'm sorry. It won't happen again." Of course he lied that last part, he would sacrifice himself for any of his family in a heartbeat, nothing would change that.

Flustered at the sudden demeanor change, Rukia blushed faintly at the pure affection rolling off Ichigo. "G-good then! Now!" She brushed off her shihaksho in an attempt to divert her eyes embarrassedly. "Lets get you home, I'm sure Yuzu is worried sick about us because we're now late!" She announced, striding ahead and marching down the street much like the drill sergeant Ichigo had compared her to earlier.

Chuckling in amusement, Ichigo dropped down onto all fours comfortably, following at a lazier pace. "Hai, hai. You can explain why we're so late though. I'd love to hear what kind of fantastic story you'll make up this time."

"Everyone loves my stories!"

"I didn't say they didn't."

"You implied it!"

"What? Did not."

"Did too!"

"I am not having this argument with you."

~x~

"Sir!" A brown haired, mousy boy cried out suddenly, spinning in his chair so suddenly that he flailed to remain in it. The bright glow of the screen cast his features in shadow as he faced the other darkness swallowing the room.

"Yes, what is it?" A deeper voice called out from his left, the underling whirling to face the voice again, squinting into the blackness that only held the glow of various other computer-like monitors as the room's only light source.

"There was huge Hollow activity in Karakura Town not long ago. The sensors only just picked it up a little while ago. By the calculations… It was two Adjuchas!" The brown haired boy announced loudly, wide eyes reading off the fast moving information off the screen with skilled efficiency.

"Oh?" The boy's superior murmured, stepping closer to the glow of the screen to reveal the face of a sallow faced man, with horn-like protrusions coming out of his forehead under a thatch of dark colored hair. "What is the status now?"

The underling quickly punched several buttons, scouring through the information pouring down the screen. "The fluxations continued for several minutes, at first it looked as if there was only one Adjuchas, but then a stronger one developed, spiked, and then the both plummeted and vanished. There's no sign of them anywhere in Karakura anymore." He reported, his voice wavering occasionally from nerves.

"Hmm…" The higher officer hummed thoughtfully before turning away. "Keep a monitor on the area and watch out for any more strong fluxations." He ordered.

"H-hai!"

And this is the last chapter I had pre-written! So the rest of the chapters I have to write out for the first time and that will undoubtedly take even longer -_- feel free to send me irritated messages, I deserve it. But don't misunderstand, criticizing complaints, yes, flames and demands, NO.

I'll be in college in two weeks xP huzzah! Maybe the gap of time I have in between classes will spur me into writing moments… we'll see :) in other words, tell me what you think in a review if you so kindly please~! ^^ till next time! (whenever that'll be…)